InfoSAWIT, PANGKALPINANG – The trial of the corruption case related to the "banana planting and palm oil" scandal resumed at the Corruption Court in Pangkalpinang on Thursday, February 20. This case involves five defendants, including H. Marwan (former Head of the Environment and Forestry Office of Bangka Belitung), Ari Setioko (CEO of PT NKI), and three civil servants: Dicky Markam, Bambang Wijaya, and Ricki Nawawi.
During this session, three palm oil company executives were presented as witnesses: Datuk H. Ramli Sutanegara (PT SAML), Desak K. Kutha Agustini (PT BAM), and Raden Laurencius Johny Widyotomo (PT FAL). Their testimonies revealed new facts regarding the involvement of palm oil companies in the 1,500-hectare concession area of PT NKI.
From the examination of two witnesses, Raden Laurencius Johny Widyotomo and Datuk H. Ramli Sutanegara, it was disclosed that their companies only learned that their plantation land fell within the PT NKI concession in 2024.
“Initially, when applying for permits in 2023, the land was not included in PT NKI's concession. It was only discovered after 2024,” Datuk Ramli stated during the trial, as reported by InfoSAWIT from BabelPos on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Furthermore, the witnesses revealed that their companies encroached on PT NKI's land based on assessments from the Forest Area Consolidation Center (BPKH). According to Johny, PT FAL was able to invest in 824 hectares of palm oil land after receiving an offer from the head of Subariat Village.
“When offered, three companies showed interest, including PT FAL, PT THEP, and CV NIKO. After a selection process, PT FAL then offered a plasma plantation of 25 percent for the community,” Johny explained.
Regarding PT NKI's concession, Johny stated that there was no official information about the ownership of the land. In fact, the village had a letter from BPKH indicating that the land belonged to the residents.
“There was no information that the land was PT NKI's concession. The village stated it was community land, and many residents have farmed there. Compensation was made at Rp 20 million per hectare for a total of 535 hectares, with the process taking place at the village head's office,” he added.
Based on BPKH's assessment in 2023, the land was categorized as Other Use Area (APL). To date, land management continues, although not all areas are problematic with PT NKI.
The corruption trial is ongoing, and it is hoped that it will reveal more facts regarding the alleged corruption and land misuse in Bangka Belitung. (T2)
